Castlevania Continent
Castlevania continent is one of the largest continents on the planet of Terra. Major Cities Astarte-''' population est. 65k-50%Human, 20%Elven, 10%Drow, 10%Dwarven, 3%Gnome, 4%Gnoll, 1%Centaur, 2%Sahaguin Established approx. 400BD (Before the Dreaming) Astarte is the oldest known civilization on the Castlevania Continent. It's beginning is argued about between scholars but it is generally accepted that the original city's first ruler was the Priest King Xerxes II in the year 365BD. Xerxes was a priest to Kama and is remembered for bringing the sea tribes together. He created a fleet of ships and pirated the trade lanes that connected Tu'Lane with Aqualon and the Vandal Continent. The wealth of his exploits drew attention from the surrounding horsemen tribes of the Plains. It also caught the attention of the dragons along the coast. Xerxes formed an alliance with the dragon council that governed the northern coast. The only obstacle of King Xerxes was the barbarian horse tribes of the Tamujin Plains and the Scythian Plains. Although Xerxes battled the horsemen for the last 3rd of his life, he never gained a permanent presence past the northern coast region. After Fenrir purged all dragons in 28BD, the War of the Faithful exploded in Astarte because the temples started by Priest King Xerxes had become a thriving cult to the goddess Kama. The priestly class had ruled the northern coast for 300 years since the death of King Xerxes II and were based in Astarte.The War of the Faithful decimated Astarte and the Kingdom of the North Coast. For nine hundred years Astarte existed as ruins of it's former glory. The city never returned to it's size or wealth. The now ancient city was sacked and razed to the ground in 941AD when the shaman of Tamujin the Scourge of the Gods witnessed Blackmoon, one of the 3 moons of Medea, explode. Tamujin began his great conquest by destroying Astarte first. The site where the city sprawled, grew over with time and earth. A small fishing village grew on the bay of Wayv's Palace. One village became two and for 1400 years Astarte existed as a small hamlet on a plentiful bay. Until King Araya's Aqualon Expansion. During the Aqualon Expansion the city of Astarte, then a small seaside hamlet, was opened wide when the Aqualonian House Rettvich appeared in the bay known as Wayv's Palace. The Aqualon Lord Rettvich sailed into the bay and then into the quiet and humble harbor of Astarte. A few fishing boats met the galleons of the Aqualon Navy and the Age of Reclamation came to old Astarte. Lord Rettvich was on a quest to uncover the lost wisdom and magic of ancient Astarte. He dug up the remains of the ancient capitol city of the northern coast. It's believed he found what he was looking for. Lord Rettvich turned the sleepy village into a booming stronghold on the northern coast of the continent. He had returned the city to a former, ancient glory. Astarte served as a starting point for Lord Rettvich's exploration of the continent. The barbarian horseman tribes of the Tamujin Plains made conquest of the north costly and the never ending flat landscape with no established cities ate up the countryside's resources.. The horseman tribes were nomadic and constantly migrated with the herd animals they survived on, which made it difficult to corner them and conquer them. Lord Rettvich pushed on into the continent's interior and left Astarte to be a major port city that supported his efforts of conquest and discovery. When Lord Rettvich became an Undead Lord, Astarte became the capitol city of his territory. He ruled over the North coast and the Plains, from the North Sea to the Ural Mountain Range. There is a legend that Undead Lord Rettvich summoned a demon from hell to prove his power. Not just any demon but a Baron of Hell. The two battled fiercely for seven days and seven nights. In the end, Lord Rettvich stood victorious over the Baron. On the site where he defeated the Baron, Lord Rettvich a Death Knight, demanded the demon serve him as a defender. He demanded the Infernal Baron take the form of a great palace. The demon had lost and was bound to serve the Death Knight and became the equally opulent and evil palace of Captor autem Animae or Captor of Souls. The Undead Lord Rettvich ruled the North of Castlevania for nearly 1100 years.The Death Knight used Astarte as his capital city for most of that time. In 1003AEN the disciple of Andrulykis, Thor Grimm, destroyed the Palace Captor autem Animae and drove Lord Rettvich from the city. The epic battle leveled much of the city and cost many lives. Thor left Astarte after defeating the Death Knight and destroying his undead elite. Astarte laid largely in ruin once again. The bay of Wayv's Palace watched over the remaining citizens of Astarte. They alone remembered the legends of the past and told them from old to young. For the next 200 years the city was a small hamlet that saw the sun return and with The Calling, the first arrivals of the various races of Locutus. For the first few decades of The Calling, the quiet hamlet slowly grew with new immigrants from the many planes of Locutus' reach. Astarte didn't become a boom town this time but instead it seemed to become a meeting place for the native humans and the new races. First, the craftsmen began gathering at the small seaside hamlet, then the traders and stores. After just a few years, the "meeting place" of Astarte gathered over 3000 citizens and hosted another 3000 traders and travelers as it became a safe harbor with it's beautiful bay. The 8th Bamanite Air Fleet arrived in Astarte in (date needed) under the command of the human, Rear Admiral T'or La'ndis. The fleet arrived and demanded a tribute from the city council of women and iron. That encounter with the Bamanites is known as the Night of a Thousand Cuts. It was a night that saw the mass murder or capture of every elite person in Astarte by the Bamanites. Their air fleet floated above the city for three months while they settled a garrison and erected a fortress named Fort Blackstone. After which, the fleet moved on. Rear Admiral T'or La'ndis ruled Astarte and the Northern Coast through Fort Blackstone and it's commander, the drow Countess and Lieutenant Commander, Orle'a SilverTouch. The city was instantly cowed by the Night of a Thousand Cuts and there were no uprisings and no remembered or recorded resistance under the government of Orle'a SilverTouch. Under SilverTouch's leadership, Astarte was once again booming and became a major port city. This time for the Bamanite Army and Air Fleet. An airport, shipyard, and an inner city wall around the army camp were built along with paved roads and a sea wall with fortifications to protect the harbor. She controlled the currency and kept strict controls and taxes. She opened major trade routes with other Bamanite controlled cities as well as free cities like Aqualon. The population grew to 80k during the era of The Calling (date needed) until The Banishing (date needed). The Banishing cut the population to less than 40k. Only natives of Terra remained; a few generations of humans and the first generation of elves,dwarves,gnomes etc. to be born on Terra but were originally from another world. The Banishing removed the Bamanites largely but it didn't remove the systems and structure the Bamanite ruling machine ran on. Directly following The Banishing, the remaining Bamanites continued the chain of command as best they could under the command of the new human leader and now general, General Geribaldi von Schtuldt. His rule lasted for 2 years until the drow officer, Captain Vo D'uth of House Poison Black Thorn led a magical coup against von Schtuldt and, it is believed, murdered every major officer loyal to the human general. In one night, every major political position loyal to the general had been replaced. No one contested the change of leadership and the coup allowed new contact with other cities as the coup was a part of a larger political move by the drow house Poison Black Thorn across the remaining Bamanite territory. The former captain, now King of the North Sea, Vo D'uth ruled Astarte and the surrounding Northern Coast with a subtle hand. No known insurrections or revolts are remembered or recorded and the city was a peaceful place to escape the barbarian horsemen that harassed the plains surrounding the city. King Vo D'uth ruled Astarte from (date needed) to (date needed) when he was killed by barbarian horsemen at the Battle of Broken River. His second in command at the battle General Luke Utal, a Knight of Shame, became interim ruler of the kingdom and capital city of Astarte. Sir Luke Utal ruled the city until King Vo D'uth's cousin Tir'ith Ki't Vul of the drow house Poison Black Thorn consolidated and united the various regions ruled by her House and became Queen Poison Black Thorn. In (date needed) a group with Medryn and John Lannister among them entered the city of Astarte to meet a woman who was believed to be Kama reincarnated for the first time since her death by Bamane. Desperate to gain a powerful ally and to meet a hope needed under the Queen's oppression, the adventurers were told of a temple uncovered outside of Astarte that was an ancient site to the goddess Kama. When the party approached they discovered that the Cult of Kama had been attacked and the temple site was now in the hands of the gnoll wizard Knight of Shame, Raz bin El. The Queen Tir'ith Ki't Vul ruled over Astarte until her death in (date needed) at the Battle of Scor's Hand. The city returned to the rule of it's mayor and military commander, now king, Sir Luke Utal when the drow queen's territory broke apart into it's separate regions and kingdoms. '''Castlevania City Population: 200k, 5% drow, 1% hafling and gnome, 10% elf, 15% dwarf, 1% misc., 75% human Major features: Twilight Palace, Garden of Stone Cemetary, Black Angel Cemetary, Red Web Airport, Academy of Arts Temples: Medryn, Andrulykis, Highwind, Remy, Kratos, Gorm, Boro, Scor Established 756 AEN. In the heart of the Twilight Forest lived various barbarian tribes who lived in small villages in a territory of the Undead Lord Therion. It was a backwoods place to the Undead Lord and far away from his main territory on the Vandal Continent. Among Therion Dracul's vampire hoard was a young count named Heinrich Himmler who petitioned to rule over this distant land. Therion Dracul granted this part of the Twilight Forest to Count Himmler. The barbarians of the region were highly superstitious and worshipped the various spirits of the woods. The tribes and small kingdoms were very fractured and scattered throughout the region without a centralized ruler or major city. Himmler stalked his new territory and found a particularly sadistic barbarian king named Ralf Underhill that he granted authority to be his enforcer. Ralf Underhill became known as Ralf the Red Sword for his bloody campaign to subdue the farmers and small homesteads and villages. It is said that Ralf gathered nearly 10% of the regional populace into one place and sacrificed them all to Count Himmler. That horrible spot became a graveyard that all of the people in the region would travel to so they could pay respect and mourn their dead. Count Himmler ordered a town be built on the unholy site and so Castlevania City was started. The Count became known as Baron Himmler. Baron Himmler's town quickly grew despite being ran by a vampire. He managed his livestock well and created a city that was a sanctuary in a haunted land. The outlying people in the Twilight Forest gathered in Castlevania City and the population grew to around 100k in about 250 years. And then The Penance happened. In 1006 AEN Thor Grimm had been adventuring through the Twilight Forest and had befriended many of the region's people. It is now believed that because the people had helped and harbored Thor Grimm, the Baron Himmler closed Castlevania City for 5 years. The moratorium on the people starved thousands. No food would grow in the area. No trade was allowed to move from the city. Everything halted and half of the populace died in what is remembered as The Penance. An excerpt from "Rise of Medryn. Third book. Requiem for a Prince: The Destruction of Prince Himmler" by Snorri Sturelson. "Virgil stood with Medryn and his band of heroes and spoke of his ancestors. "My grandfather lived during the Great Penance. He was a farmer when the command came down from the vampire lords to starve the city of everything. They never said why they killed half of the people. The old, the infirm, the sickly, the retarded. Perhaps the livestock had become too lazy from too much easy living. The blood of kings rise in armor and sword but descend in silk and platters. They had forgotten the old ways and didn't respect the Baron properly. The people began to question why they had to sacrifice so often to their rulers. The city was in chaos for over a year following the initial word to stop food production.Maybe they did it just for laughs. The Prince must have not known what his children were doing. He never would have taken our food for 5 years. Nothing would grow. Trade was forbidden, even with other vampire kingdoms. So many starved. So many lives. There was a large pruning of family trees, that's for sure." Thor Grimm was magically kept away from the city. He was kept from helping the people he loved and had sworn to protect. After searching and trying to find the magically hidden gates of the the city, Thor Grimm left the Twilight Forest in an attempt to placate the evil Baron and save Casttlevania City's people. Himmler was rewarded with the title of Grand Duke for defending his realm so well. Grand Duke Himmler ruled from deep beneath the city. Layers of earth, generation upon generation for around 500 years covered his crimes against humanity and served as his mausoleum. He was feared by all and was master of his domain. Himmler put the random spirits of the Twilight Forest under his boot with his growing undead power. His influence over his human livestock was complete and was always in the minds of his livestock as a dark presence in every baby's room and every shadowy alley. Until the sun returned to Terra and ended the free reign of the vampires. "Rise of Medryn. Third book. Requiem for a Prince: The Destruction of Prince Himmler" by Snorri Sturelson. "When the Dawn at Mr. Ordeals brought the sun back from the dead of night, even Grand Duke Himmler's influence waned. The people had respite from the constant threat of being prey for an unseen predator. The common man could be human again. At least during the daylight hours. Children could play and learn, women could keep the affairs of the house, men could press their wills to success. Castlevania City began to grow with confidence again like a strong tree waiting for the sun in the morning." The Grand Duke used this new hazard to vampires as a weapon. Himmler saw the various vampire kings around him become weak and offered them admittance to his House. The vampires who didn't conform to his authority were set upon by foes. Grand Duke Himmler secretly funded vampire hunters to attack the neighboring vampire kings and gave them assistance with his minions and magical ability. Himmler quickly consolidated the vampires of the southern half of the Castlevania Continent. From the Ural Mountains to the Southern Sea, Himmler was now known as Prince Himmler. The Calling brought creatures of every kind and power level. Creatures with power that could potentially threaten the Prince and his territory. It brought the Bamanites to Castlevania Continent, but it was Rear Admiral T'or La'ndis who brought an expeditionary force of airships to Castlevania City. The Bamanite leader was impressed with the Prince vampire's power and as a strategic minded human, the Rear Admiral diplomatically offered an alliance with Prince Himmler. The Bamanite Fleet Admiral offered to protect the city and by proxy the Prince in exchange for using the city as a base of operations. He agreed to act as the visible aspect of the Prince's power. A fleet of the finest Bamanite airships and a garrison of soldiers to enforce law and order and defend against hostile forces during the daylight. The Bamanite military with the full magical power of the drow House Poison Black Thorn. This branch of the drow house was ruled by the Countess and Priestess to Bamane and the goddess Ti' Kratia, Bi'set Poison Black Thorn. Prince Himmler agreed to the Rear Admiral's peace offering and in (date needed) the Bamanites formed an alliance with the vampire prince of the Twilight Forest. Rear Admiral T'or La'ndis left a couple Destroyers and a Frigate along with a garrison of Bamanite soldiers in Castlevania City under the command of Countess and Priestess Bi'set Poison Black Thorn. The Bamanite Air Fleet traveled north into the Ural Mountains where the Scythian River begins. The Bamanites immediately built the city's first airport and replaced any outdated or antiquated infrastructure. Countess Bi'set centralised the authority of Castlevania City by bringing the growing influence of the various trade guilds under her control. House Poison Black Thorn used magical intimidation with squads of enforcers to allow the citizens to become assimilated wherever bribery didn't work. House Poison Black Thorn governed Castlevania City by inventing the laws and enforcing the order. The population boomed as the Twilight Forest and the city absorbed the creatures that unexpectedly appeared with The Calling. Countess and Priestess Bi'set Poison Black Thorn ruled Castlevania City and the southern region of the forming Bamanite territory until the Banishing. The Banishing (date needed) removed all of the elite class that were not native born to Terra, mostly the drow, dwarves, elves, and other creatures that were from other planes and worlds with Locutus' influence. The humans were the majority of the elite class after the Banishing. The human military officers kept the chain of command as hundreds of other world authority figures disappeared from Terra. Only the humans and similar races that mature faster had descendants that were adults and able to retain power. The Bamanite military took over interim rule of Castlevania City for ten years while the issue of bloodlines and drow houses was debated by the remnants of the Bamanite military. In (date needed) the human, Admiral Andy LaRouche of the Royal Bamanite Air Corps became Air Marshal Supreme of the remnants of the Bamanite military. While the new Air Marshal Supreme ruled over the former territories of the Bamanites from the fortress city of Scor's Hand, he allied with the oldest female of House Poison Black Thorn to remain after the Banishing. Former noblelady in waiting, now Dutchess of Castlevania City, Lady Tir'ith Ki't Vu of House Poison Black Thorn ruled the people and kept all alliances in place with Prince Himmler. Castlevania City thrived under Dutchess Tir'ith Ki't Vu of House Poison Black Thorn as she allowed the drow to maintain their superior roles in the hierarchy of the government. The Dutchess solidified the drow rule privately with magical intimidation, Prince Himmler's influence while publicly by throwing money at the poor and restructuring the Knight class of Castlevania City and the Twilight Region. The Dutchess was such a success to the Bamanite Provinces, she was the obvious choice when every provincial governor of the former Bamanite territory died within a night's time. Air Marshal Supreme Andy LaRouche's whole entourage and any political ties they had were all declared Lady Tir'ith Ki't Vu of House Poison Black Thorn became Queen Poison Black Thorn in (date needed) at her coronation in the private gardens of Palace du Twilight in Castlevania City. After attaining the total political power with a successful "Culling of the Enemy" ritual, the Queen moved to Scor's Hand to rule over the region from a central location. In (date needed) Queen Poison Black Thorn awarded rule of Castlevania City to her cousin Duke Ban'ic Vu of House Poison Black Thorn. The Duke ruled Castlevania City with a stone hand and is rumored to have been a cult member to Prince Himmler. Duke Ban'ic Vu ruled under the Queen until the defeat of Prince Himmler by Medryn. An excerpt from "Rise of Medryn. Third book. Requiem for a Prince: The Destruction of Prince Himmler" by Snorri Sturelson. "The Archmage Medryn had lead the epic group into the personal tomb of the Vampire Prince Himmler and destroyed that nest of parasites from their root. Duke Ban'ic Vu no longer had the threat of the Prince to back his rule where sword and spell didn't work easily. His safety net was gone and he had been left with a target on his chest." Duke Ban'ic Vu had been the male drow who was most influential in the rise of House Poison Black Thorn to the throne of the LaRouche Kingdom. Duke Ban'ic Vu was the 'secret dagger' inside the royal palace and personal court of King Andy LaRouche. Ban'ic Vu was cousin to Tir'ith Ki't Vul and was awarded Duke and Castlevania City as his lands. Upon the destruction of the vampire Prince Himmler, word of the Duke's dealings with the monster Himmler were spread through the city by an overnight city-wide paper pamphlet campaign exposing his most severe atrocities. The Duke was staying at the Twilight Palace in the city when the eastern tower of the palace was surrounded by the citizens with the Duke inside. The tower was razed to the ground with the Duke's body being found and mutilated. His head is still above the North Gate portcullis as a reminder and trophy of the people. All of House Poison Black Thorn in Castlevania City was eliminated without a trace the same night as the Duke and the next powerful drow house took the throne. Ol'ivar Gan'nin of House Red Web took control of Castlevania City and for three remaining months of that year, ruled as the Duke. In (date needed), following the death of Queen Poison Black Thorn, Medryn entered Castlevania City as it's new master. Medryn quickly married a daughter of Duke Ol'var Gan'nin of House Red Web and solidified his authority without bloodshed with the drow elite. Medryn instituted aggressive social reforms and introduced a more liberty inspired form of government instead of the oppressive rulers of the great cities past. Among many of Medryn's benevolent achievements, Freddie Bin Wailin the Bard played an epic 10 hour concert in the poorest sections of Castlevania City and rebuilt the worst of the town with bard magic. Vienna Population: 150k 10% elf, 10% dwarf, 1% Sahaguin, 5% Misc., 74% Human Major Features: Large Harbor, Coastal Fortress, Pearl Palace, College of Knowledge, Lighthouse of Andrulykis, Coliseum, Large Marketplace Established: (date needed, after the Calling) This continually thriving city was founded by the Lieutenant Commander Pit U' Lithan of drow House Snowcap Amanita as a Coastal Fortress for Rear Admiral T'or La'ndis and the 8th Bamanite Air Fleet. The Lieutenant Commander immediately put his men to work. He sent officers to parlay with the local elite lords, jarls, dukes, chiefs, or kings. He negotiated a peace treaty with the local rulers of the eastern coast of the Castlevania continent. He offered to allow the elites to continue their rule as long as they payed the Bamanite 8th Fleet a tax. He suggested they build homes in the new fortified city of Vienna. He promised the full resources of the Bamanite 8th Fleet to protect their lands if they served him and the Bamanite ruling class. The elite families of the region had been operating as feudal lords and kings and were now given the opportunity to come together and help defend against the monsters that suddenly appeared from The Calling. Pit U' Lithan became the Regent Commander of the eastern coast of Castlevania continent and defended the shipping lanes against rampant corsairs and pirates who hide in the Dragon Archipelago and the Merland Islands. The Regent Commander commissioned 2 naval fleets of 12 ships each to protect the coastline from the Scythian Delta in the north to Thor's Hammer in the south. The local pagans and hillbillies came in from many areas, for the security of the Coastal Fortress and for the military expansion of the Bamanite Army providing jobs and money. A stable place during the mass entrance of monsters and magic. Vienna boomed from a basic coastal fort into one of the largest and most stable city-states on the continent. Regent Commander Pit U' Lithan ruled with a loose hand on market taxes and heavy hand on military growth and keeping a monopoly on religion. He instituted heavy taxation on all religious activity other than Bamane, Ti' Kratia, and Mor' lyn and a common prayer to the Bamanite Empress Tith' Lith at gatherings. The phrase "In Her Service" was a regular Bamanite military good bye. Most importantly, military service was required to gain citizenship in Vienna and the ability to buy land or real property. The 8th Bamanite Air Fleet as led on the eastern coast by Regen Commander Pit U' Lithan, along with any creatures or beings not born on Terra, disappeared with The Banishing(date needed). Vienna survived the Banishing because of it's largely human population and the military hierarchy allowed many humans to buy large estates and produce a strong middle-class based on being sailors in the Bamanite Navy and then farmer-citizens of Vienna. A class of "gentlemen sailors" became the lord class of the city-state. When the Bamanites were Banished in (date needed), the lord class met and formed the Republic of Vienna. It was led with two Consulars and the Vienna Senate. The same two families, the Montegues and the Rothchilds have served as the Consulars since the position was made. Under their direction Vienna has become known for it's sea port and it's variety of resources from the Eastern Ural Mountains, the Twilight Forest, the Scythian Plains and the control of shipping goods along the eastern coast of the Castlevania continent. Religion in Vienna shifted when the Bamanites were banishted. Many of the citizens became godless after the divine reach of their families' gods and the gods of the military culture of Vienna were stopped on Terra. Many of the common folk of the Republic of Vienna were superstitious pagans from the region and hadn't been exposed to the divine powers of Terra, since that had been suppressed under every region that had been dominated by the 8th Bamanite Fleet. It was into this vacuum that the Church of Andrulykis sent the Inquisitor Sgt. Slaughter in (date needed) into the lingering temple priestess' of the pantheon of Medea. Sgt. Slaughter led a troop of clerics and paladins into the temples of Bamane, Ti' Kratia, Mor' lyn and the Bamanite Empress and destroyed all remnants of that religion in Vienna. The public cheered the Banishing and celebrate it annually in a week long feast. In (date needed), for recognition of the Church's actions, the Consulars and the Senate of Vienna financed the construction of The Lighthouse of Retribution in the massively busy harbor of the city. Sgt. Slaughter and his special team of Inquisitors known as the Marauders created the Knights of Vienna in (date needed), a strict order of inquisitors of Andrulykis. During the reign of King Andy LaRoque, the elite class of Vienna periodically (from date needed to date needed) fought for possession of the easthern Ural Mountains and the rich resources there. Consular Barnaby Rothschild committed his first two terms to claiming and defending resources of metals and gems from neighboring monsters, barbarians and spirits. Consular "Battleborn" Barnaby Rothschild held the office until his death in (date needed) from the red dragon Starscream. In (date needed) during the quick rise of Queen Poison Black Thorn, the hierarchy of Vienna kept the Queen at a distance politically with import tariffs and trading taxes but also culturally the major population had rejected it's Bamanite roots and had overcome the shadow knives of drow influence with Sgt. Slaughter and his Marauders. The rich and powerful of Vienna knew not to trust the Queen and pursued a neutral diplomatic relation with her. In (date needed) Medryn became King of Castlevania. Thor's Hammer Population: 125k 60% Human, 20% Dwarf, 10% Elf, 10% various creatures Major Features: Murray Rothbard Market, Grand Harbor of the Guilds, Grimm's Cathedral, College of Mechanix and Magics Established: 1053 AEN Thor Grimm returned to the Thunder Cliff Mountains in 1053 AEN where he built a small home on the slope of a mountain and herded goats. He had become melancholy and wanted to be alone with the storms of the Thunder Cliffs. His band of mercenary followers didn't believe the Killer of the vampire Prince Revis was done adventuring and saving damsels. The company of 20 known as Thor's Hammer, made camp on the beach of the peninsula and waited for Thor to return from his churning moodiness on his mountain. Days turned to weeks that became months into years and the company of 20 adventurers had variously left and returned waiting for Thor. During this time they grew in power and influence but repeatedly ran into the oppressive and evil grip of the various vampire rulers of the seven continents during the Age of Night. No matter where they adventured to or raided, the mercenary group known as Thor's Hammer, always returned to that beach and to Thor Grimm's hearth and friendship. With every adventure and quest, the Thor's Hammer company spread their network and encouraged business with them as an independent place to funnel goods that were outlawed or suppressed by the various territories of vampire houses and werewolf clans. By 1060 AEN the 20 of the original company had increased to include friends and families of the company and a couple hundred people who had been affected by Thor Grimm and Thor's Hammer. The camp had become a town. The town of Thor's Hammer gained a reputation as a sanctuary city from the evil of the world. It was a safe harbor for ships to resupply and not be taxed. The town had no mayor, no official council and no form of government. The mercenary members of the company kept their hierarchy but didn't enforce that on anyone else. It was a free society mostly. Slaves remained slaves and visiting soldiers, officers and diplomats remained agents of their various governments and masters; but the town had no rulers and anyone who stayed could be free of another's rule if they were able. The society was as diverse as every person who came there. With the diversity came the responsibility of maintaining peace and order since there wasn't a monopoly of force by a ruling class. Reputation could get you more than weapons and gold and anyone who didn't understand that common rule were generally ostracized, exiled or killed depending on the severity of ignorance or if violence was used. That common law was understood and respected. Private guard companies formed to provide protection for those who could afford it and the marketplace grew uncontrollably without taxation and guild monopolies. The different social classes formed clubs, gangs and guilds, the craftsmen, artisans, entrepreneurs and businessmen, formed into their own differing forms of guild governments and were regulated by reputation and the ability of constant competitors in their different markets. In 1065 AEN Thor Grimm, after a legendary party known as "That one night Thor got so drunk he...." Party, the remaining members of Thor's Hammer demanded he return to Northgard to see Andrulykis again and maybe find a piece of mind. Excerpt from, "The Books of Retribution, Book Three Chapter Ten, "Thor's Question"-by Cardinal Charles Von Grosser "Thor Grimm left the next morning on a sturdy wooden and steel chariot pulled by two of his goats. He booked passage on a ship and traveled through the main road in town to meet his ride in the harbor. As Thor and the remaining members of his old mercenary company traveled, a crowd spontaneously formed and escorted them to the harbor. The people had come to see the legendary warrior off. News of his journey had already gone through the town like a fire. The maidens gathered along the cobblestone road to see the mighty warrior off in hopes to catch his eye and be conquered by his lust. The squires and apprentices lined the same streets as the maidens in the hope of Thor asking them to join in an epic quest." Nola Kiev St. Petersburg Gotham Continental Lore and Regional History Continent Tamujin Plains Scythian River Delta Eastern Ural Mountains Central Ural Mountains Western Ural Mountains Twilight Forest Vienna Coast Stark Coast Political Maps Continent Timeline Before the Dreaming Age of Dreams Age of Reclamation Age of Eternal Night Daybreak The Calling The Banishing Reign of Queen Tir'ith Ki't Vul (Queen Poison Black Thorn) Medryn's Rule of Castlevania Important Places Scor's Hand Eastern Ural Mountains Wayv's Palace (Bay to the City of Astarte) Important NPCs Luke Skywalker